Hong Kong SAR, China

China

Economics

Politics

In Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee's fourth annual policy address, he established an investigative body to oversee civil servant accountability, and he focused heavily on integrating Hong Kong's economy with China's, The South China Morning Post reported on Sept. 17.

Hong Kong: Lee Highlights Mainland Integration, Policy Implementation Issues

Cyber

Environment, Science & Technology

Military & Security

Science & Technology

AI models created by DeepSeek, China’s most well-known AI platform, frequently refuse to help or provide security-flawed code to programmers affiliated with entities and subjects deemed sensitive by the Chinese government, The Washington Post reported Sept. 16, citing an experiment shared by cybersecurity company CrowdStrike.

China: DeepSeek's Chatbot Writes Code With More Security Flaws for Politically Sensitive Groups

China's Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. is testing an immersion deep-ultraviolet (DUV) lithography machine -- similar to the immersion DUVs produced by the Netherlands' ASML -- produced by Shanghai startup Yuliangsheng, the Financial Times reported on Sept. 16.

China: DUV Lithography Machine Trials Begin as Companies Halt Purchases of Nvidia Chip

United States

U.S.-China Relations

The U.S. and Chinese trade teams claimed to have reached a "framework consensus" at the end of their second day of talks in Madrid on how to address the United States' impending Sept. 17 deadline for TikTok's Chinese owners to divest, Reuters reported on Sept. 15.

U.S., China: Madrid Talks Likely To Produce TikTok Delay, Little Else

Beginning Nov. 1, internet service providers and other “network operators” in China will be required to report breaches and other cyber incidents in between one and four hours to local regulators, depending on the nature of their severity, the Cyberspace Administration of China announced Sept. 15.

China: New Rules Mandate Cyber Incident Reporting in a Matter of Hours

Philippines

United Kingdom

Chinese and Philippine vessels clashed near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, with China's coast guard using water cannons against more than 10 Philippine ships, damaging one vessel and injuring a crew member, Nikkei Asia reported on Sept. 16.

China, Philippines, U.K.: Coast Guards Clash as London Pursues Visiting Forces Agreement

Japan

Malaysia

Japan agreed to provide Malaysia with security equipment worth $2.7 million, including drones and rescue boats, as part of its Official Security Assistance program, Nikkei Asia reported on Sept. 15. 

Malaysia, Japan: Tokyo Donates Drones, Rescue Boats to Kuala Lumpur

At the Sept. 14-17 trade talks with the United States in Madrid, China's asks included a request for the United States to drop tariffs and technology restrictions on China in return for China acquiescing to a U.S. plan to have China's ByteDance divest from social media app TikTok by a Sept. 17 deadline, Reuters reported on Sept. 15.

Assessments

Kazakhstan

Russia

In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev waits to greet foreign leaders during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states leaders' summit in Astana on July 4, 2024.

Despite President Tokayev's reform proposals, Kazakhstan's succession process will remain vulnerable to destabilizing forces, including elite rivalries and foreign influence.

How Kazakhstan's Proposed Reforms Will Impact the Question of Succession

Snapshots

India

Participants of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025 pose for photos in Tianjin, China, on Sept. 1, 2025.

Energy

Global Trade

U.S. trade uncertainty will help China deepen trade ties with its Central Asian neighbors and infrastructure ties with Russia, but its relations with India will remain inhibited by border disputes and differing defense priorities.

China Positions Itself as Growth Catalyst for Central Asia at SCO Summit

Ecuador

Mexico

North Korea

Ukraine

Helicopters fly in the sky during a rehearsal for a military parade Aug. 24 in Beijing.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: An SCO Summit, Rubio Closes Security Deals With Mexico and Ecuador

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a meeting on May 14, 2015, in Xian, China. 

While Trump-era tariff pressures offer a new economic incentive for cooperation, Beijing and New Delhi are unlikely to fully normalize ties due to enduring strategic and security concerns.

Despite Modest Improvement, India-China Relations Face Enduring Challenges

Bolivia

Israel

Palestinian Territories

An aerial view shows a campaign poster of Bolivian presidential candidate Samuel Doria Medina and his supporters marching during a rally in La Paz, Bolivia, on Aug. 12, 2025.

The Weekly Rundown: Bolivian Elections, a Controversial Israeli Settlement Plan 

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the "Winning the AI Race" summit hosted by All‑In Podcast and Hill & Valley Forum at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium on July 23, 2025, in Washington, D.C. 

Relaxed U.S. export controls on key semiconductors will enable Chinese companies to accelerate their advancement of AI-focused chips.

How U.S. Export Concessions Could Boost China's AI Ambitions

U.S. President Donald Trump (R) looks at Russia's President Vladimir Putin on Nov. 30, 2018, during the G20 Leaders' Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina. U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to meet in the coming days.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: A Trump-Putin Summit, the Deadline for a U.S.-China Tariff Pause

A 3D modeled town in the shape of the Chinese flag.

Trade tensions will exacerbate China's excess savings problems, but the economic situation will remain manageable

Beijing Grapples With Deflation, Overinvestment as Tariff Pressures Mount

Taiwan

A voter leaves a booth during voting for the recall election at a polling station in Taipei, Taiwan, on July 26, 2025. 

Its victory in the recall votes will embolden the opposition KMT to press on with controversial reforms and defense spending cuts, but it will also help prevent a near-term escalation of cross-strait tensions.

A Failed Recall Emboldens Taiwan's Opposition

Canada

Cambodia

South Korea

Thailand

Europe

A Cambodian soldier stands on a truck with a rocket launcher in Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province, which borders Thailand, on July 25, 2025. 

The Weekly Rundown: U.S. Tariff Deadline Passes, Thai-Cambodian Border Tensions Persist

Australia

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks during a luncheon at Parliament House in Canberra on June 17, 2024. 

The Australian prime minister's efforts to stabilize relations with Beijing will yield short-term economic benefits, but rising regional security concerns will ultimately limit long-term engagement.

The Challenges Facing Albanese's Bid to Reset China-Australia Relations

Egypt

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly (center right) meets with Chinese Premier Li Qiang (center left) in Cairo on July 10, 2025.

In the coming years, Egypt will deepen its economic ties with China via increased trade and investment, while simultaneously maintaining its military alliance with the U.S. to address regional security concerns.

Egypt Navigates Its Needs for Chinese Investment and U.S. Military Support

<p>China is situated on the eastern third of the Eurasian landmass, between Russia, mainland Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia. Its more than 9,000 mile-long coastline abuts the Yellow, East and South China Seas. China is a country of deep geographic divisions. Most fundamental is the split between its fertile eastern lowlands and the arid, sparsely populated highlands that enclose the lowlands like a shell. More than a billion people live in the ethnic Han Chinese core, making it one of the most densely populated places on Earth. Traditionally, threats to China&#39;s Han core originated in the borderlands. To guard against overland invasion, successive Chinese rulers have sought to push the Core&#39;s borders outward &mdash;integrating these highlands as strategic &quot;buffer&quot; zones. These zones form a shield, protecting and containing the core. To be secure, China must control the buffer regions. But maintaining control of the regions, in turn, requires a strong and united core. And that means overcoming immense internal divisions &mdash; not only between northern and southern regions orbiting the Yellow and Yangtze rivers, but also between smaller regional units, each with their own geography, history, dialect and interests. Chinese history is defined by cycles of unity and fragmentation, from periods when a strong Han core captures and holds the surrounding buffers to those when a weak core breaks into its constituent parts, loses internal coherence and cedes control of the borderlands. This pattern, rooted in China&#39;s geography, has played out with remarkable consistency. By comparison, China&#39;s maritime interests have remained mostly limited to coastal waters. Today, however, growing international trade and rising Chinese reliance on overseas resources threaten to alter the pattern, adding a new maritime dimension to the struggle for buffer space &mdash; and potentially upending the long-standing dynamics of China&#39;s geographic challenge.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

Hong Kong: Lee Highlights Mainland Integration, Policy Implementation Issues

China: DeepSeek's Chatbot Writes Code With More Security Flaws for Politically Sensitive Groups

China: DUV Lithography Machine Trials Begin as Companies Halt Purchases of Nvidia Chip

U.S., China: Madrid Talks Likely To Produce TikTok Delay, Little Else

China: New Rules Mandate Cyber Incident Reporting in a Matter of Hours

China, Philippines, U.K.: Coast Guards Clash as London Pursues Visiting Forces Agreement

Malaysia, Japan: Tokyo Donates Drones, Rescue Boats to Kuala Lumpur

U.S., China: Madrid Talks Likely To Produce TikTok Delay, Little Else

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